Lip+Plates

= Lip Plates = Back to The Concept of Beauty Page

**WHERE** were lip plates used ? Lip plates are were most common in ancient Africa and South America.

**WHO** used lip plates? Young women would start stretching their lip at the age of 15-16 years and continued to expand their lip as they aged.   What do lip plates **SYMBOLIZE**? There are many explanations as to what lip plates symbolize. Back in ancient times, it is thought that lip plates made women less attractive to slave traders. Today, some tribes use lip plates as a status and a social icon.

**HOW** ar e lip plates used? When a girl is 15 or 16 years old, a member of their tribe (usually their mother) pierces the girl's lip and inserts a wooden plug. When the wound heals, the girl continues to increase the size of her lip plate, causing the hole to expand.

<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 253, 102);">**TODAY** Many cultures still wear lip plates today. Some of these cultures include the Sara, Mursi, Surma, Chai,Tirma, and Botocudo.

<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 253, 102);"> A **LINK** for more pictures of lip plates: http://www.photographersdirect.com/stockimages/l/lip_plate.asp

<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 253, 102);"> A **VIDEO** to check out... media type="youtube" key="V2oRlK_wI_s" height="344" width="425"

Image: http://lissanonline.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/mursi1.jpg Sources: http://www.mursi.org/life-cycle/lip-plates http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lip_plate

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